PATHWAYS TO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY - Port of Rotterdam

The Rotterdam/Delta region is now the crossroads forimporting primary metals and exporting used electronicproducts and scrap metal to Asia and Africa. With theknow-how and experience available in the region, businessactivities to change or combine streams and further closethe cycle of copper and other metals can be developed.The pathway to a circular economy in the metals sectormodel is at stage 3 in the evolutionary model. In the model,up to 60 percent of e-waste is recycled. From a total of392,000 tonnes, only 38,000 tonnes end up in residualwaste and is sent to incineration. Copper is not onlycollected as a metal, it re-enters the market in refurbishedproducts and refurbished components. Close cooperationbetween parties leads to a higher rate of copper reuse.The circular economy model for copper in the metalssector is based on the following principles of a circulareconomy:• Minimise the use of inputs and eliminate wastes andpollution: Component and product manufacturers arereducing the use of virgin copper by increasing takeback of supplied products. Cooperation withspecialised refurbishers supports this.• Maximise the value created at each stage:Manufacturers create additional value through sales ofrefurbished products while component suppliers findnew sales opportunities through this channel.• Manage resource flows: WEEE collection is stimulatedby incentives aimed at users. Recycling schemescollect more e-waste and informal recyclers followregulations. This results in higher quality recycling inmore closed loops.• Establish mutually beneficial relationships: Componentproducers, manufacturers and recyclers benefit fromknowledge sharing. Better design helps to makerecycling easier, building new mutually rewardingbusiness models with network partners.The model shows how the leakage of copper in WEEE canbe reduced by the cooperative efforts of different parties inthe EEE cycle. It starts with increased e-waste collection,which depends on (re)manufacturers and refurbishershaving closer communication with users. Recyclingschemes need to intensify current activities and as a result,the e-waste ending up in incineration – which currently43/73PORT OF ROTTERDAM / RABOBANKPATHWAYS TO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY